May 7, 2014
In my former Cuttington University office, a couple of Peace
Corps teachers at the university were discussing typical academic subjects such
as the world population, society’s role in helping families with too many
children, and a university Chemistry student could not multiply by one when the
Dean of Natural Science College came in and asked for the names of students
graduating this semester who are enrolled in freshman level Math courses. He
then inquired about a test one of the Peace Corps instructors was preparing
which required the students to write out the answers. The Dean then said that
he should be giving multiple choice questions because that type of test is
considered to be more objective.
The Peace Corps instructor said that having the student write
out the answer was a better way of determining whether the student actually
knew the answer. The Dean repeated his assertion adding “True and False”
questions to his list of questions students should be asked.
The Assistant Vice-President of Academic Affairs then
entered the room commenting that having transcripts with graduating seniors
taking freshman level introductory courses their last semester just didn’t look
good on transcripts. The problem was due to poor counseling at the university.
At no time was the
issue about whether students are actually learning anything discussed. This was
the endemic problem I faced when teaching which seems to be throughout the
entire Liberian educational system. It reminded me of the old Cannon Camera
commercial which stated that “Image is Everything”.
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